BJP rejects Sibal's education formula

The Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states' education ministers on Wednesday trashed Human Resources and Development Minister Kapil Sibal's road map for education, stressing that fiddling with examinations and a single board for 12th class examination cannot reform the education.

Briefing mediapersons after chairing the meeting, former HRD minister Murli Manohar Joshi said, "We also want education to be a joyful experience and not a stressful one that stilts child's development, but not in the style of Sibal without consulting educationists and state governments."

"The meeting also felt that before bringing any changes in the education system, they should be widely debated with educationists, state governments and organisations of students and teachers," Joshi added.

The meeting was also attended by National Democratic Alliance convener Sharad Yadav and former union minister Sushma Swaraj, besides the education ministers from Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh and members of the Shiksha Bachao Andolan.

Joshi said the education ministers of Gujarat and Bihar could not come due to the ongoing assembly sessions, but they too sent their views opposing Sibal's ideas.

Joshi also stated that the meeting was told that no state government has so far received the Yashpal Committee report on higher education as the HRD Ministry was still studying it.

"Sibal announcing to implement the report even before it is even studied by his officials is quite strange," Joshi said.

Regarding Sibal's plans to allow foreign universities starting their courses in India, Joshi said it is still unclear as to which foreign universities he is interested in and what courses they will start.

During his tenure, Joshi said, he had noticed some foreign universities trying to set up their shops in India, who do not have even a signboard, forget a building in their home country.

Asked about Sibal's idea of making Class X examination optional, Joshi said he cannot do it unless the state governments agree, as education falls under the concurrent list in the federal structure of India.

"Of course, Sibal can make his proposal enforced in the Central Board of Secondary Education, as that fall under the Centre," the BJP leader added.